Herders with their flock
Finally, a man with eggs!
Wide Open Spaces
There is always time for Bunna!
As many of you know, I'm a "country-girl" at heart. I love wide-open spaces, breath-taking scenery, the smell of a freshly cut field of hay, and any and all animals. When I received my site assignment, I was initially disappointed to be placed in such a large city. Now that I have been here for a month, I can say that I have the best of both worlds. I have access to many amenities (like internet and cellular network) that are not available in the more rural villages and yet I can walk 15 minutes outside of town and quickly escape the hustle and bustle. Here is an excerpt from my journal on a day that words just seemed to flow from my pen. Hopefully it will paint a vivid picture of the 2 worlds that I live in.
…today we made plans to explore what lies opposite the hub of town with Zebenay…Smith's landlady. The asphalt ends abruptly as we pass the last of the 3 colleges in town. As the asphalt fades away, so does the busy world in which I have been living. Barefoot woman laden with heavy water jugs stop in their tracks to unabashedly stare at the "farenji" who have wandered off the beaten path. No longer can you smell the fumes of the oil-burning trucks or the buzz of the bajaj. Instead the bleating of goats/sheep and the laughter of the 3 herders who are amused to find themselves the target of my photo-op have replaced the raucous city sounds. We walk through a small village and call out "encalal alle" to everyone who passes by. Eventually, one farmer on his way to market responds to our inquiry with "awo" and pauses to sell the cache of 6 eggs that he has carefully transported in a bag filled with straw. As soon as the transaction is complete, we pass the fragile bag to a little girl of 5 or 6 who has been instructed to keep them safe until our return. As we walk it is all too apparent that this is harvest time. A man stands in a big pile of cut wheat, or perhaps it is tef, and uses a pitchfork to throw the shafts high into the air to dry. We round a bend, enter a cove of spindly trees and discover an old Orthodox church. At first glance it appears to be forgotten, but as we sit and soak in the silence others who pay us no attention and proceed with their daily ritual of prayer and meditation join us. It is so quiet that one can hear individual leaves being caressed by the wind. It is hard to tear myself away…to willingly return to the hustle and bustle of town—a town that feels like any other. I realize now that this is what I had hoped for. In my mind's eye this space is what I pictured Ethiopia to be. I may not live and breathe this space everyday, but it is here. This is the Ethiopia I have needed to see and it has been found. On our return, we again pass through the same small village and are invited to participate in a bunna ceremony with Zebenay's sister. This is not to be a short stay considering that we are starting at step one…bean washing. We proceed through bean washing, roasting, and grinding. I have plenty of time to admire the intricately woven patterns on the yarn and wicker containers that she has made. Somehow I am able to communicate that I want to learn this art. She seems pleased by my interest and is eager to teach. After 3 cups of bunna and a little injera we resume our walk along a stretch of road that bridges rural Ethiopia with urban Ethiopia and old ways with new. I hope to live somewhere in the middle. I suspect that my feet will become quite familiar with this rough, rocky route.
